


Never Meant To Be

by The_Risen_Phoenix



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Angst, Aoi and Ace are siblings, F/M, Heartbreak, M/M, Unrequited Love, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 09:57:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18428198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Risen_Phoenix/pseuds/The_Risen_Phoenix
Summary: Today was Kurasame's wedding day.





	Never Meant To Be

 

Kurasame stood before the body length mirror struggling to tie his cravat, all the while wishing for Ace to be there to help him. But the other man was busy getting himself ready and was unavailable.

 

Hands finally falling to his sides, Kurasame observed himself in the mirror.

 

Black suit paired with a midnight blue shirt, red cravat lay untied around his neck. The crimson red of the cravat, made him smile. It was because of Ace that they had decided to go with that colour, and he couldn't be happier with the end result.

 

With a happy smile, Kurasame turned at the sound of rapid knocking upon his door. Opening the door, Kurasame was not surprised to see Ace standing on the other side dressed similarly, only a few differences from Kurasame's outfit as he was the groom.

 

That's right, today was Kurasame's wedding day.

 

Tugging the other man inside, Kurasame playfully demanded that Ace help him in his time of need.

 

“Ace! My friend, saviour, best man and soon to be brother-in-law! Please help me out by tying this damn contraption!”

 

Too busy tugging on the offending material, Kurasame didn't see the look of pain that flashed over Ace's face. The look was gone before it was noticed, and Ace moved towards the other man with hands already sorting out the mess he had made.

 

Staring down at the head of blond hair lowered in concentration, Kurasame felt a little of the elation that had been filling him fade away. Although he loved Aoi, there had been a time however brief, that he had had feelings for the man before him and had been sure that they were returned.

 

The lingering touches that they had shared, and looks full of shy promise had never really had a chance to blossom before Aoi had confessed to him. Not wanting to make a decision without asking Ace if there was something to be had between them, Kurasame had been left almost bereft and surprised when Ace had given him his blessing to pursue his sister. From that moment on, the touches, the looks, and even the time they spent together stopped.

 

 

“ _Ace, if you have a moment I would like to speak to you about something important.” Kurasame had approached the other man._

 

_He didn't fail to notice the happy and slightly hopeful look that Ace sent to him._

 

“ _Of course Kurasame, I am always available to speak with you.” This was said with a happy smile._

 

“ _I,er....that is..” Kurasame trailed off, not sure how to bring up the issue._

 

_Ace made a tiny inquiring sound, encouraging the other to speak._

 

“ _Aoi approached me today,” the look of happiness on Ace's face froze. “She said that she had developed feelings for me over the course of time that we have spent together, and asked me if we could date. I wanted to ask you what you thought.”_

 

_Kurasame looked into Ace's eyes as he finished speaking, and nearly recoiled at the look of blank desolation within the others' eyes. A blink later and it was as though a curtain had dropped and Ace's face was blank of emotion before a wide grin split his face, almost unnaturally so._

 

“ _Wow Kurasame, that's great!”_

 

_Kurasame drew back in shock. What about what they felt about each other?_

 

“ _As her brother I give you my blessings to date each other, just don't hurt her ok?”_

 

_Ace felt like he was drowning, the joking tone of his voice sounded fake to his ears. He wondered if it sounded just as fake to Kurasame, if the other man could hear the sound of his heart shattering as the stood there across from each other. They may have physically been less than a few feet from each other, but now there was a chasm stretching between them that Ace knew he could never cross._

 

_He may love the man standing before him, but he would never do anything to impede his sister's happiness. And if her happiness was to be found in this man, he would not stand in her way._

 

_It had killed him to watch as slowly but surely they grew closer and closer, eventually falling in love with each other, and so he distanced himself from them both, He claimed work and social obligations were keeping him busy to avoid spending too much time with them._

 

_In the end it had been a shock to receive a wedding invitation in the mail, another hand written note begging him to be Kurasame's best man. For although they had grown apart, there was no other that Kurasame could imagine standing beside him on that day. With a heavy heart, Ace had written back to him that he would be honoured to stand as his best man._

 

 

“There done.”

 

The light pat to his chest drew Kurasame from his memories as he turned to look at himself once more in the mirror. As he observed himself, he noticed that at some point Ace had also attached the crimson red boutonnière to his jacket pocket.

 

There was no mistaking the look of affection that blazed him Kurasame's eyes as he turned to thank the other man. However the words stuck in his throat and would not come out at the look of anguish painted across Ace's face. With a wordless cry, Kurasame reached out towards him, a stab of pain lodging in his chest as Ace avoided the touch.

 

“Ace....” Kurasame whispered, voice faltering and trailing off into silence.

 

Ace turned his head towards the ground, hiding his face once again from Kurasame's view.

 

“I'm sorry.”

 

Ace's words confused Kurasame. What was the other apologising for?

 

“I....” Kurasame sounded lost. “For what?”

 

“I can't do this anymore. I can't do this. Can't be your best man, and stand there watching as you marry Aoi.”

 

Kurasame's heart broke.

  
“Do you not approve of us then?” His words stuttered to a halt as he noticed tiny sparkling drops of water dripping onto the floor.

 

Ace was crying.

 

“That's not it. I'm sorry I lied, I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted, what you needed.”

 

Kurasame's heart pounded in his chest. Just what was Ace trying to say? Was he trying to tell him that his feelings had been returned so long ago, that he had lied about being happy about Aoi and him dating? But surely it was now too late? On the day of his wedding....

 

Kurasame startled at the touch of a gentle hand curving against his cheek. He looked into Ace's clear blue eyes, saw the love and pain that hid there and wanted to scream. Why? Why now?

 

“I have always loved you Kurasame, but when you told me that Aoi had feelings for you, I could not be selfish and deny her a chance.”

 

Kurasame flared with hurt.

 

“And me? What about me? Did I not also deserve a chance with the one I had feelings for?”

 

Ace's eyes slid away from his accusing stare.

 

“Of course, but you love her now don't you?” A nod. “So everything turned out for you in the end.”

 

Kurasame wanted to cry. How could this be considered everything turning out alright? When for years he had been hurting the one man that he could have seen himself being with forever.

 

“But now I can't stay silent anymore. Can't watch as the man I love marry my sister. I've spoken to Kazuza and he has agreed to stand in as your best man for me. There is nothing left for me to say now, other than I am sorry and goodbye. I'm leaving town tomorrow, and I won't return. I wish you both all the happiness in the world.”

 

With those heartbreaking words, Ace stood on tiptoe and gave the first and last kiss he would to Kurasame, the lightest fleeting touch of lips against his smooth cheek and then turned and disappeared out the door. By the time Kurasame broke from his stupor and chased after him, there was no sign of the other man anywhere.

 

Kazuza arrived soon after, a look of worry on his face as he ushered the shocked man back into the preparation room.

 

“Alright bud?” He asked gently.

 

He wasn't sure quite what was going on, but from what he had seen and heard over the years, he had a fair idea. He just wasn't sure what his friend was going to do now. Would he still be going through with the wedding? Or would he follow his heart and try to find Ace.

 

Ace whom he knew was sitting in front of the church crying his heart out, but still holding onto the fragile hope that Kurasame would come to him, follow him, take him away.

 

“Yes, yes I'm fine. Thanks.” Kazuza wasn't sure with of them Kurasame was trying to convince with that lacklustre answer, but didn't call him out on it regardless.

 

“Ok well it's time to head to the front of the church now.”

 

With a last look in the mirror and a deep steadying breath, Kurasame followed his friend out of the room and down the halls to the front of the hall.

 

Standing there already was the priest and Emina, his other groomsmaid. Although untraditional to have a female, Kurasame couldn't think of another person that he would want standing up there with him. She shot a look of surprise towards the pair, eyes darting around searching for Ace, but soon settled into a look of understanding as Kazuza mumbled the situation when he was close enough.

 

Music soon filled the church as the doors leading to the entrance were thrown open and Aoi stood there in her wedding finery. Creamy froths of lace tumbled down over the satin dress hugging her figure, an embroidered veil covering her face and hair. The bundle of blood red roses and baby's breath, were both cliché and beautiful.

 

Aoi seemingly floated towards Kurasame along the carpeted aisle, though she too seemed surprised at the lack of Ace standing beside her fiance. As she stopped beside the man she was to marry, Kurasame reached out careful hands to hold hers. The priest started the ceremony, words fading from Kurasame's mind as he stared down at the woman before him.

 

Blonde hair pulled back and styled intricately, gems and flowers twined into the locks; the same blond as her brothers in fact. Eyes hidden by the veil would be a clear shining blue...no red. They would be red not blue. Same nose and chin as Ace though, though he would have to say that Ace had the fuller lips. Aoi's lower lip fuller than the top, Ace's equally full had felt soft against the skin of his cheek.

 

STOP!

 

He had to stop comparing the two. He was marrying Aoi, now was not the time to be having second thoughts. But they just would not stop bombarding him....

 

“And Kurasame do you take Aoi to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

 

The gathered guests all held their breath as Kurasame paused, none more-so than Kazuza and Emina.

 

 

Outside, Ace too held his breath at the priest's words, wondering, hoping, praying, only for his heart to shatter one last time as Kurasame's words pierced his mind.

 

“I do.” There was no hint of hesitation in his voice now. He had made up his mind.

 

Unable to bear hearing more, Ace lurched from the bench he had been waiting on and stumbled away tears flowing freely from his eyes. Behind him he thought he might have heard someone calling out his name, and he turned one final time to see Kurasame and Aoi stood side by side calling out to him.

 

With a heartbreaking smile and a wave, Ace turned and continued walking away out of their lives forever. The next day he left, and no one from his past ever saw him again.

 

As for Kurasame and Aoi, they were happy for a time, even having two children together – Miwa and Guren. Many years had passed, but neither forgot the gaping hole that Ace's departure had left in their lives. The truth had come out several years into their marriage, and Aoi had been beside herself with grief at what she had unknowingly taken from her brother.

 

With watery eyes and a heavy heart, she had confronted Kurasame and asked whether he was still in love with Ace. The quiet and resigned 'Yes' that she received was nothing less than she had expected. It wasn't long after that, that they had started to grow apart. Guilt gnawed at them both and made them unable to face the other, until finally they just fell apart.

 

Neither knew where to find Ace, didn't know if he would even wish to see or speak to them again, and all of their searches were in vain. The separated amicably, both knowing it was for the best, and in the end they both lived with their regrets wishing for the man they had driven away.

 


End file.
